Tether Unveils USA₮, Its First Fully Regulated U.S. Dollar Stablecoin
- USA₮ launches under U.S. federal rules with Anchorage Digital Bank as its regulated issuer.
- The GENIUS Act pushed Tether to create a compliant U.S. stablecoin for domestic users.
- USA₮ gains early traction via major exchanges and Visa-linked payments through Oobit.
Tether has formally launched USA₮, marking its first fully regulated, dollar-backed stablecoin built specifically for the United States market. The token is issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, N.A., making it subject to federal oversight by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
The launch positions the company inside the U.S. banking perimeter at a time when federal rules now define who can issue and distribute stablecoins to American users. Similarly, the market debut follows an announcement late last year that outlined the product’s structure and leadership, including the appointment of former White House Crypto Council Executive Director Bo Hines as chief executive of the U.S. unit.
With availability now live for U.S. users, the new token is designed to meet federal requirements introduced under the GENIUS Act, the first nationwide framework governing stablecoins marketed in the United States.
Built For The Genius Act Era
The GENIUS Act reshaped the U.S. stablecoin landscape by limiting distribution to tokens issued by federally or state-qualified entities. As a result, offshore-issued stablecoins that fall outside those standards face restrictions across U.S.-regulated exchanges, banks, and payment providers.
That framework narrowed the domestic use of existing offshore dollar tokens and accelerated the need for a compliant alternative. USA₮, however, was designed to meet those requirements from inception.
Issuance through a federally regulated bank places governance, reserves, and compliance within the U.S. banking system. According to company statements, the structure is intended to provide U.S. institutions with a regulated digital dollar while maintaining operational separation from global products used outside the country.
Executive Framing and Institutional Focus
Paolo Ardoino, chief executive of Tether, said the new token extends the firm’s long-standing digital dollar model into a federally supervised environment tailored for the U.S. market. He pointed to more than a decade of operational history for global dollar tokens as evidence of demand for programmable dollars at scale.
USD₮ has proven for more than a decade that digital dollars can deliver trust, transparency, and utility at a global scale. USA₮ extends that mission by providing a federally regulated product designed for the American market,” Paolo Ardoino noted.
Bo Hines further added that the U.S. product was designed to meet federal regulatory expectations around stability, transparency, and governance. The stated objective is to support regulated financial institutions that require clear supervisory oversight when engaging with blockchain-based settlement assets.
Exchange Rollout and Early Access
During the initial phase, USA₮ is available to U.S. users through major platforms including Bybit, Crypto.com, Kraken, OKX, and MoonPay. Distribution through these venues gives the token immediate reach across spot trading, on-ramps, and payments infrastructure already used by U.S. customers.
Market analysts describe the launch as a direct competitive response to regulated U.S. stablecoins that have dominated institutional usage due to early compliance alignment. By introducing a bank-issued token, the company can re-enter segments such as broker-dealer settlement, regulated payments, and institutional liquidity management that require federally compliant instruments.
Related: Japan Opens Consultation on Stablecoin Reserve Asset Rules
Payments Integration and Merchant Reach
Payments network Oobit has also announced support for the new stablecoin, becoming the first payments provider to enable spending at more than 100 million merchants worldwide where Visa is accepted. The integration follows Oobit’s recent U.S. launch and allows users to transact at physical and online retailers using existing card acceptance rails.
By combining federal bank issuance with mainstream payments access, USA₮ enters the market positioned for institutional finance and everyday transactions. The structure reflects a dual-track strategy: a regulated dollar token for the United States and a separate global product for international markets.
For the U.S. stablecoin sector, the launch underscores how federal rules are reshaping issuer models and accelerating the convergence of digital assets with traditional banking infrastructure.
